What is the difference between absentee in-person voting and early voting?

When voting early, the voter’s eligibility to vote is verified at the time of voting through the Division of Elections statewide voter registration system. A voter is eligible to vote early if the voter is voting at the Regional Elections Office and if the voter’s registration record is active and current. Early voting is available only during Primary, General and Statewide Special Elections. Since the voter’s eligibility to vote could be verified, the voter simply signs a certificate and the voted ballot is placed directly into the ballot box.

When voting absentee in-person, the voterís eligibility to vote is verified after the voter is issued a ballot. Absentee in-person voting is available at each Regional Elections Office and at many absentee voting locations throughout the state. Since the voterís eligibility could not be verified at the time of voting, the voterís voted ballot is placed inside an absentee voting envelope prior to being placed in the ballot box.

When do absentee early and in-person voting sites open?

Most absentee early vote and in-person voting sites open 15 days before Election Day and remain open through Election Day. Times and dates may vary depending on the location and/or community.

What ballots are available at each site?

Some voting sites will have ballots for all 40 house districts, some will have ballots for a single district and some will have ballots for multiple districts at one location.

When are absentee early and in-person ballots counted?

The Division of Elections counts all absentee early and in-person ballots that are eligible to be counted from election night through up to 15 days after the election. The dates and times when absentee early and in-person ballots are counted will be determined prior to each election.